Bhumi feels B’wood’s love for ‘honest’ talent

For fans of Hindi film Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Bhumi Pednekar is etched in their memories as the smart plus-sized Sandhya. But the actor, who now looks almost unrecognisable in her fit avatar, says she’s glad that Bollywood accepts “honest talent”, size notwithstanding.

Dum Laga Ke Haisha, in which she landed a role by chance, required Bhumi — a casting assistant herself back then —to gain over 20 kg. She did, and carried out the endearing role so effortlessly that she has just won a Filmfare Award for her performance.

Asked if Bollywood favours women of a certain weight and size, Bhumi said: “I think today a lot of attention has gone from what you look like physically. I think it existed a few years ago... there has been a very evident change in the kind of cinema our audiences are liking.” “I think people are accepting (actors with) different body types today... I don’t think the idea of size zero exists any more. People just want to be fit.” Now ready with her second film Manmarziyan, Bhumi hopes the audience can relate to the change in her frame.

“I really hope that the audience can relate to it (the change in her avatar). I think the audience connected with me the most in Dum Laga Ke Haisha because of the film that I was a part of, the way the story was told and the character was sketched,” she said. “As actors, you just perform your character and I feel if you do it with honesty, the audience will instantly connect with you. That’s my attempt this time as well (for Manmarziyan).”

Bhumi also clarified that her weight loss was “always the plan”, and not a “requirement” for her second film. “I had gained a certain amount of weight for my character and the moment I was done, I had to be back to being Bhumi. This was something I had already done and then Manmarziyan came my way,” she said.